Our Summer
by WordsRmyaddiction
Summary: Tumblr Prompt: Beca and Chloe spend the summer together in Chloe's families' beach house.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Thought I'd try my hands at taking prompts****.**_** Standard disclaimers apply I don't own Pitch Perfect or the wonderful characters. **  
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_Prompt: Beca and Chloe spend the summer in Chloe's family's beach house. It's up to you where the story goes._

**June -**

Like with most things in her life where Chloe Beale was involved Beca had no idea how it happened. How she had gone from planning her escape to LA to sitting in the passenger seat of Chloe's car heading not to LA, but to New York. About as far away from LA as she could get and yet, sitting in Chloe's car, music blasting way too loud, windows rolled down, Beca didn't regret her decision.

Since the inception of their friendship Beca had known that Chloe was impulsive. She acted before thinking based solely on her on her gut instinct and intuition that whatever she was about to do would work out in her favor. When Chloe had come up to her the night of her graduation, a little too tipsy for her own good and pulled Beca into a tight hug Beca didn't tense up like she normally would. A year of Chloe's touchy feely nature and her complete disregard of personal space had pretty much shattered Beca's idea of personal boundaries. At least where the red head was concerned.

" _You okay there?" Beca asked her eye brow raised in question. Nothing surprised Beca more than when she saw a look of pure heart break cross over Chloe's face. " Hey, hey what's the matter?" _

" _This is it, I mean I'm going away after this. I won't be able to see you every day, who's going to make sure you smile and actually leave your dorm room for some sort of socialization?" The rest of Chloe's words were lost in some sort of indistinguishable series of mumbled words. Looking around the rest of the party Beca's first instinct was to find Aubrey, she didn't know what to do with a hyper emotional Chloe. _

" _Chloe that's a little dramatic don't you think?"_

" _You're going to LA Beca!" _

" _Shh Jesus! Come with me." Beca said pulling Chloe out of the small dorm that was filled with more people than fire code should allow. Beca didn't stop until they were out of the dorm building and into the warm night air._

" _Sorry, I just...it's hitting me you know?" _

" _Yeah I know." Beca didn't want to voice how much the idea of an entire country being between her and the red head responsible for restoring her faith in people tore at her insides. It literally made her feel sick in ways that Beca had tried to avoid by keeping people at a distance._

" _I'm not ready for that." Chloe stated firmly. She said it with such certainty that it sounded like Chloe was determined to stop time itself. _

" _I'm going to LA, you're going to New York. It's the next step in our lives Chloe. It's…it needs to happen."_

" _And it will. But not in two days." Beca was running out of ideas of how she could get Chloe to process that it wasn't a matter of wanting to. If Beca could she would bring Chloe with her to LA and they wouldn't have to deal with this, and Beca was pretty sure that Chloe felt the same way about taking Beca to New York._

" _I don't understand." _

" _Come with me to my parent's beach house in the Hamptons for the summer. Two months where it can just be the two of us. Two months Bec, that's all I'm asking."_

" _It'll just be putting off the inevitable Chloe. It'll only make goodbye harder then." Beca argued._

" _Maybe. But it'll give us time. Time to figure out what the Hell has been going on with us." And there it was, finally out in the open an acknowledge of the feelings that both of them had been trying to push under the rug and hide from. Neither of them had dared to say it or even hint at it even though it was blaringly obvious that there wasn't just platonic friendship going on between the two of them._

" _Chloe…"_

" _Don't say that there isn't something because you and I both know that there is. Maybe it'll end up being nothing and I'll get to spend the summer with one of my best friends. Or maybe it'll be more. Do you really want to go to LA knowing that you and I didn't even try to figure it out?" Chloe challenged, the tipsiness completely gone from Chloe's blue eyes and Beca could only see the determination that would ultimately be her undoing. There were a million arguments that Beca could voice, each of them more valid than the one that came before. But instead she found herself nodding. _

And that's how she ended up where she was. Forty minutes outside Atlanta, on their way to the Hamptons. How Beca hadn't known that Chloe's family was from money in all their months of friendship Beca didn't know. But Chloe's parents were allowing Chloe and by extension Beca to stay at their house for the summer.

" I'm really glad you decided to come with me." Chloe said over the music. Beca looked over at the red head, a pair of aviator sun glasses covering her cerulean eyes, her red hair blowing wildly in the wind.

" Me too. Even if this is the craziest idea I've ever hear." Beca said with a smile, her tone was her usual dry sarcasm. But she didn't want Chloe to think that she wasn't appreciative.

" Come on Beca, you need to live a little." Chloe said nudging Beca's thigh.

" This is me living a little. Driving to New York from Atlanta with this crazy red head I know." Beca teased.

" It'll be awesome."

" What not aca-awesome?" Beca asked pretending to be offended.

" I would have said it but I was pretty sure that you would hit me. Or simply jumped out of the car."

" I might have done one of those things. But I would have waited till you stopped so that you wouldn't crash."

" Good. I would really like to make it there in once piece."

They decided to drive non-stop instead of trying to find a motel to sleep for a couple of hours. Loading up on soda's and energy drinks for the drive, they made excellent time with Beca taking over for Chloe when the red head got too tired. The sun was just setting when they pulled into the gated community that Chloe's family's beach house was located. Beca sat quietly, practically glued to the passenger side window looking at all the houses that they passed.

" Dude you grew up here?" Beca asked looking at Chloe who seemed so casual about the wealth they were surrounded by.

" No I grew up in Florida. This was the summer house." Chloe said. Beca had to look at Chloe to gauge whether or not she was serious.

" Seriously? You know that isn't normal right?"

" It is too normal!" Chloe insisted when they pulled up the drive to the house.

" Wow! This is it?" Beca asked getting out and looking up at the house. Perfectly framed by the sun setting behind it the house was two stories with more windows than walls on the front. Beca could see inside that some of the lights had been turned on for them so that they weren't walking into a completely dark house, hearing Chloe mutter something about timers.

" Come on I'll give you the grand tour." Chloe said grabbing Beca's hand and pulling her inside. Following Chloe, Beca took in the house she'd be staying in. She wasn't used to stuff like this, luxury, beaches, all of it was such a foreign concept.

" Chloe, this place is amazing." Beca said following the red head around the living room, fully furnished with a 50" plasma TV hanging from the wall. Through the living room there was a pair of French doors that lead out to where Beca assumed was a patio. The kitchen was very modern but Chloe explained that it was rarely used.

" Upstairs is the master bedroom and the guest room. Out back are the pool and the beach." Chloe explained pointing to the stairs for emphasis.

" Should we take our bags to our rooms and take a nap? We did just drive for like twenty hours?" Beca suggested.

" Sounds nice." Chloe said helping Beca bring in their bags before showing Beca upstairs to the room she would be staying in. the guest room was easily three times the size of Beca's dorm room, with an actual bed that didn't double as a couch.

" Get some sleep. Our aca-awesome summer can begin tomorrow." Beca said lingering in the hallway that separated her bedroom from Chloe's. Chloe looked backward at the master bedroom and then to Beca.

" Stay with me." Chloe's request surprised Beca while making her heart almost stop in her chest.

" What?"

" Cuddle with me." Had it been anyone other than Chloe, Beca would have thought the request was strange. But this was Chloe. The red head who didn't know the meaning of the word personal space, who probably had on her list of hobbies 'cuddling'. And the only person that Beca didn't mind actually having physical contact with.

" Okay, let me go change." Beca said disappearing into her bedroom where her duffle bag waited for her on the bed. Rummaging through it until she found her pj pants and a tank top she didn't mind sleeping in. when Beca returned to the master bedroom she stopped in the door way, Chloe was waiting for her in the center of the kind size bed. Hesitating in the doorway Beca almost turned away and went back to her room. The nervousness of it finally hitting her, and Chloe's argument that had ultimately gotten her to agree to come to the beach house with Chloe ringing in her mind. To find out if there was possibly more than friendship going on between them.

But then Chloe reached out for Beca and Beca found her feet moving before her brain could really process it and she was crawling onto the bed. It was completely plausible that the two could have slept in the same bed without ever touching. But Chloe being Chloe she grabbed a hold of Beca as soon as the brunette was within arm's reach.

" I'm really glad you agreed to come." Chloe said sleepily, nuzzling into Beca like Beca were some kind of stuffed animal Chloe was used to cuddling with.

" Me too." Had Beca not been as tired as she was she would have paid more attention to the way her heart was somewhere in the vicinity of her throat and it felt like her stomach had become home to an entire colony of butterflies.

Chloe woke to the most delicious aroma filling the entire house. Of course it didn't hurt that she was starving but Chloe was crawling out of bed even before she was fully awake. Descending the stairs Chloe spotted Beca in the kitchen, diligently monitoring a skillet filled with some amazing looking concoction before turning to attend to a pot of boiling water.

" I didn't know you could cook." Chloe stated coming to sit on one of the stools at the counter where she could watch Beca without getting in the way.

" I'm learning there is a lot we don't know about each other." Beca replied turning off the heat and grabbing the plates she'd set aside.

" Who's fault is that?" Chloe challenged with a teasing smile.

" Touché. I found these in the pantry. Pasta with Alfredo sauce and broccoli. You ordered something like this once when we were out with the Bella's." Beca said putting a plate in front of Chloe.

" You remember?" Chloe asked seeing a blush color Beca's face. " It looks amazing."

" My mom taught me." Beca explained while they ate.

" I should thank her then." Chloe said.

" She died a few years ago." Beca confessed, her eyes downcast. Chloe abandoned her plate and circled around the counter and before Beca even knew what was happening Chloe's arms were around her shoulders and she was being pulled into a not entirely unwelcome embrace.

" I'm sorry." Chloe whispered Beca would have shrugged except that she was held captive by Chloe's arms.

" It's whatever. It happened." Beca was trying for apathetic but the way that her voice shook when she said it was a good indicator that it was anything but.

" It's not whatever. It's your mom."

" Really, I'm over it." It wasn't true. Beca still ached over her mother's death. It was a part of the reason she was so closed off. Watching her vibrant mother, who was not unlike Chloe in many aspects, waste away to nothing in the span of three years had been more than Beca was entirely ready to process.

" Beca…" Chloe pressed gently. She didn't want to push too hard but this was the most Beca had ever mentioned about her past. Especially with regard to her mother.

" Cancer. She fought hard. Almost beat it too. But in the end she needed a bone marrow transplant and I wasn't a match." Beca stopped. Chloe was released her from the embrace allowing Beca to escape to the other side of the kitchen.

" I'm sorry."

" She taught me how to cook over the course of a summer."

" Maybe you could teach me how to cook this summer." Chloe suggested.

" You want to learn how to cook?"

" I'm going to have to learn unless I wanna live off of take out in my apartment." Chloe said.

" Okay. We'll start tomorrow?"

" Deal. Still tired?" Chloe asked helping Beca with the dishes.

" Exhausted." Beca laughed abandoning the dishes and letting Chloe lead her upstairs.

Beca wasn't really surprised when Chloe insisted on sleeping in the same bed again. But she was surprised that she wasn't fighting it.

" Am I always going to wake up to you being gone?" Beca jumped when she felt her headphones being removed from around her ears. It was just after nine in the morning and Beca had been awake for probably two hours, deciding to use the time to work on some of her mixes and let Chloe sleep.

" I thought I'd let you sleep." Beca replied apologetically. Chloe looked adorable recently roused from sleep. She didn't look quite woken up yet. " There's coffee in the kitchen." Beca said glancing at the kitchen and seeing Chloe's eyes light up. Watching Chloe make her way to the kitchen and prepare her coffee Beca found herself staring at the red head. There was just something so domestic about what was happening and it had only been a day. Beca found herself embarrassed to admit she liked it.

" Next time wake me up." Chloe said coming back to join Beca, leaning against the table Beca had staged her lap top on. Holding the steaming mug of coffee in her hand Chloe eyed the younger girl. Beca looked adorable in an oversized hoodie sweatshirt and her pajama bottoms, her hair pulled back from her face though she hadn't bothered doing anything to style it. However Beca's trademark makeup was already in place, eyeliner and all.

" Why?"

" So we can spend the morning together." Chloe insisted groaning in delight as the taste of coffee swept over her tongue. Beca felt her entire body react to the sound in a way she had never experienced before. The sound was just so…dirty and yet so amazing at the same time. Had Beca not seen Chloe take a sip of the coffee the brunette would have thought that older girl was reacting to something entirely different.

" I think there is still some morning left. I mean it is the late hour of nine in the morning." Beca teased.

" Smart ass. What did you want to do today?"

" Well at some point today we need to go to the store because that gourmet meal that I made you last night pretty much cleaned out the kitchen. Other than that, I'm pretty open."

" There's a market a few miles down the road." Chloe answered. " We can do that after we spend some time on the beach."

" Beach? Why would we spend time on the beach?" The way Beca's tone rose with the incredulous nature of her question reminded Chloe of the first day of Bella's rehearsal when Aubrey had informed the girls about the cardio they would be expected to do.

" It's a beach house Beca." Chloe offered with a playful roll of her eyes before she moved to put herself between Beca and her computer. Instinctively pushing her chair back to get out of Chloe's way Beca wasn't expecting the sudden invasion into her space. Mainly she wasn't expecting that anyone would be crazy enough to get between her and her mixes. But with Chloe she really should give up on being surprised.

" What are you doing?"

" I did not invite you here so that you could spend the entire summer inside on your computer."

" Chloe…"

" So, house rules. You have to spend a minimum of two hours outside. With or without me. You can have your time with your mixes after that. Ooh and one cooking lesson per day." Chloe said listing the rules out on her fingers. Beca was torn on whether or not to be terrified of where these rules might lead her, or amused.

" Anything else?" Beca asked playfully.

" Yeah, but you're not going to like it." Chloe cautioned.

" I'm very sure of that. Lay it on me anyway."

" Every day you have to tell me something about you. A secret, or something that no one else knows." Beca was sure her jaw hit the floor when Chloe finished her sentence. She didn't open up to people, even Chloe.

" Chloe…" Beca warned, her voice low and uncertain.

" It doesn't have to be huge. Just something…something about your life, your dreams, anything so that I feel like I'm getting to know you more. Please? For me?" If only Chloe realized that when she asked things like that in such a way it was Beca's kryptonite. Her ultimate undoing would be Chloe saying the word 'please' because Chloe didn't pout. It would be unfair to call what she was doing pouting. It was just honest, Chloe _wanted_ to know about Beca, she _cared_ enough to ask Beca for honesty. And that, that was more powerful than any pout in the world.

" Okay. If you do the same."

" Deal."

Given that it was early in the morning Chloe allowed Beca to not change into her bathing suit to go down to the beach. The day would be a gorgeous one, probably in the high 70's if the weather man was to be believed. But it was still chilly in the early morning wind. So the two ventured down to the water where Chloe promptly set up a blanket for them to sit on.

Hours passed like minutes, sometimes they would talk but most of the time was spent in companionable silence while they both watched the wave's crash against the shore. The roar of the ocean filling the air with a sweet music that Beca couldn't duplicate on one of her mixes if she tried, but she wouldn't because she knew that it wouldn't do the sound justice if she did. Somewhere during the course of that time Chloe had slipped her hand into Beca's, that was when the concept of time started actually mattering to Beca. It wasn't how long it had been since they had been on the beach, it wasn't even how much longer she had to endure outside. It was how long she could keep Chloe's hand in hers. It felt so natural, so effortless that Beca couldn't help but be awed by it a little.

Chloe became hyper aware of Beca's scrutiny of their hand holding when out of the corner of her eye she saw the brunette shift. Beca turned her entire body away from the ocean and instead faced Chloe. But she focused on their hands, tracing small circles on the outside of Chloe's hands.

" Want my first confession?" Beca asked softly, so softly in fact that Chloe had to strain to hear it over the ocean.

" If you are." Chloe answered turning to face Beca.

" I love your hands." Beca stated.

" My hands?"

" Yeah. They're strong without being…I don't know manly I guess. And your skin is so soft." Beca explained, running the pad of her thumb over the back of Chloe's hand as if she were emphasizing her words.

" What are you doing?" Chloe asked, her voice no louder than a whisper.

" I don't know. Just…let me?" Beca requested. Chloe could only nod.

They stayed like that for a while longer, ocean forgotten, until Chloe declared that they had to make it to the market before it closed otherwise they would starve. The "market" as Chloe called it was really a small shop that was more of an organic, specialty food store. It would have everything that they needed, but Beca doubted she would be able to find anything unhealthy in the store at all.

But shopping with Chloe was an experience. In fact, in many ways shopping with Chloe reminded Beca a lot of Aubrey during Bella's rehearsals. They had to go down every aisle just in case there was something that they might want. It was kind of ridiculous. But Beca indulged Chloe, which also meant that their cart was full before they even got half way through the store. They had enough food to feed an army, but Beca didn't have the heart to tell Chloe that, the red head just looked so damned excited.

After the first day the two fell into a sort of routine, not surprisingly Beca never did stay in the room that was supposed to be hers. Every morning she would wake up, always before Chloe and she would make coffee and sometimes breakfast. The coffee aroma would wake Chloe who would come downstairs and usually would watch TV or something while allowing Beca to work on her mixes. And then the two would go down to the beach and talk, or not talk, there wasn't much else to do other than that.

As promised, Beca began teaching Chloe how to cook. Which, with the exception of the first lesson went pretty well. The first night had been pretty much a disaster, with the two of them lucky they didn't burn down the house. After that Beca learned that she needed to pay much closer attention to what Chloe was doing.

Beca wasn't sure when things started changing between them. That exact moment when the line that separated platonic and romantic began to fade away. There hadn't ever really been a distinctive line to begin with. The two had always been flirtatious, Chloe had always been touchy feely, and Beca had always been bad at telling Chloe no. But it was around mid-June. They'd been living together for almost two weeks when Beca began to notice that what she and Chloe had wasn't friendship, it was definitely more.

But Beca knew exactly when she became aware that things were changing. Beca was working on a mix and it was going along really well. Chloe had decided it was time to go to the beach. A part of their routine that they'd established. But being lost in her mix Beca refused to go, afraid if she left her computer now she'd lose her train of thought and the brilliance she was on the verge of would be gone forever. When she finally pulled her head phones off and looked around Beca found she was completely alone in the house. Since their arrival Beca had been alone only a hand full of times and usually with Chloe no more than a room away. It was foreign to her.

She found a post it note stuck to the glass of the back door. Chloe's hand writing.

_Went to the beach without you._

" Shit." Throwing the door open Beca descended the wooden stairs that would take her from the house down to the beach. She had no idea when Chloe had even left, she'd just waved Chloe off. Looking up and down the beach hoping that she would see the red head sitting on their blanket, but the beach was abandoned.

Walking up the stairs back towards the house Beca kept turning and looking back at the beach hoping that she might see the red head somewhere. Then she could apologize and they could go back out to the beach as their routine dictated. By the time Beca had gotten back up to the back porch she was crestfallen and feeling like she'd majorly screwed up, even if on the grand scheme of things she hadn't really done anything that wrong. When they were in school Beca had often times ignored her phone or bailed on plans to work on mixes. Chloe always forgave her, or told her there was nothing to forgive. So then why did this time feel so different?

Relief flooded her entire body when she saw the familiar auburn tresses of her friend through the window. Opening the back door Beca hesitantly walked in, her shoulders and head drooped like she was expecting to get yelled at. What was worse was when Chloe didn't even turn around, she just kept doing whatever she was doing standing with her back to Beca. The silence was deafening, Beca was sure she actually felt it surrounding her eardrums and crushing them.

" I'm an idiot." Beca said finally. Chloe tensed hearing Beca's voice, she'd heard the brunette's arrival, and had chosen not to turn around. She was angry that Beca had ignored her. It was a stupid thing to be angry over. And the fact that she knew it was stupid and she couldn't help it made it all the more annoying. Before she could turn around Beca continued. " I shouldn't have ignored you and I should have gone down to the beach with you. But I was really into my mix and I wanted to finish it." Beca rambled.

" I'm not mad Beca." Chloe said turning around, Beca winced. Chloe's arms were crossed, she knew what that meant. Chloe was telling her that she wasn't mad, but Chloe's body was screaming at Beca that she was.

" Yes you are."

" Okay, so maybe I am. I don't know why I am. But when you just waved me off it made me angry."

" I went down to the beach to find you." Beca argued.

" I went for a walk down the street instead. It's just the beach is our thing. It's where we go and where you tell me something about you that I don't already know. It's really special to me and I was mad that it wasn't to you." Chloe confessed her arms dropping to her sides.

" It is important to me to. Hence me coming in here proclaiming I'm an idiot."

" You aren't an idiot. Dense maybe, but not an idiot. Can I at least hear the mix that was so important?" Chloe asked.

" Not yet."

" Why not?"

" It's not done yet."

" That's never stopped you before."

" Are you just trying to pick a fight with me?" Beca challenged. She could see that there was a fire in Chloe that she'd only ever seen Aubrey bring out in her. Chloe was looking for a fight, possibly because she was still angry, or maybe there was something else that Beca wasn't quite getting. Whatever it was, she was sure that if she didn't tread carefully then they would end up screaming at each other.

" Why would I do that?"

" I don't know, but you sure are combative for someone who doesn't want to fight. And who isn't mad." Beca was definitely not making the situation any better for them and she knew it when she saw Chloe's eyes narrow.

" Why would I think you'd understand? It's not like you ever allow yourself to feel anything so why bother trying to explain it to you?" Chloe regretted the words even before they were out of her mouth. Especially when she saw how Beca recoiled almost all the way to the back doors. Beca could take insults and digs as if they were bullets falling on her bulletproof vest, most of the time even things said with the intention of hurting her didn't even faze her. But in one statement Chloe had managed to shatter that vest until Chloe's words shredded Beca's insides. " Beca I didn't mean that."

Chloe watched as Beca looked at her, hurt radiating from her eyes and her entire body. Several times Beca opened her mouth as if she were going to say something, but each time she stopped herself. She couldn't fight the accusations, they were true.

" Beca please, I'm sorry." Chloe said in a rush, she wanted so desperately to go to Beca and wrap her arms around the smaller brunette but at this point she wasn't sure how Beca might respond.

" How did this get so fucked up?" Beca asked in a whisper. Chloe sighed, relieved that Beca was even talked to her instead of running away.

" We were both angry."

" You were angry, I was apologizing." Beca protested finally venturing away from the door to the table where her lap top still sat. Chloe watched curiously as Beca fiddled with some of the controls and then disconnected the flash drive. Closing the top to her lap top Beca tucked it under her arm. " Here. Since it was so damned important." Beca replied dropping the small device on the table next to Chloe before Beca brushed passed her up the stairs.

Chloe watched Beca disappear into the guest bedroom and slam the door, the entire house seemed to shake with the force Beca had used to slam the door. Chloe lingered a moment where she stood before venturing to her computer and plugging in the drive. Her computer opened the file instantly and what she saw made her feel even worse. The file was titled 'for Chloe'. Beca had been working on mixes for her and she had practically accused Beca of being unfeeling.

The songs were a little rough, indicative of their unfinished nature but Chloe couldn't help but adore them. Beca had spent probably countless hours collecting all of Chloe's favorite songs and was compiling them into a mix that was, to put it mildly, genius. After listening to the entire mix, all the way through Chloe looked up at Beca's closed bedroom door. Knowing she shouldn't invade her friend's space, not after what had just happened. But second guessing herself wasn't something Chloe was known for.

Knocking on Beca's door Chloe pushed the door open and found Beca sitting on the bed, lap top open but it didn't look like she was doing anything on it.

" What's the point of knocking if you don't intend on waiting for a reply?" Beca asked rhetorically.

" Beca I…"

" Just shut up and come here." Beca said pushing her lap top off to the side and watching Chloe come towards her.

" I swear I didn't mean it."

" Shut up." Beca replied, though this time there was a slight hint of amusement in her tone. " I don't want to fight anymore. Like ever again." Beca sounded so adorable that Chloe couldn't help but laugh.

" We still need to talk Beca." Chloe cautioned as Beca curled herself against Chloe's body.

" Tomorrow. Emotional stuff makes me tired."

" Tomorrow then." Maybe Chloe would finally get Beca to explain the mix she'd made.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So here is the next chapter. I had originally planned to cover 1 month per chapter. But I got carried away with some of the events of this chapter and so I'm gonna have to split July into 2 chapters. Also warning, this chapter has adult content. **

July 1.5 –

" Okay, we are definitely sleeping in your bed tonight." Beca groaned following Chloe down the stairs towards the kitchen and the promise of coffee. The only response was a humorless laugh agreeing with Beca's statement. The brunette rubbed her neck as the sore muscles made her wince, the guest bedroom didn't have the most comfortable bed and the two of them hadn't exactly fallen asleep in the best position to sleep.

" And who say's I'll have you?" Chloe asked eyebrow raised as she poured Beca a cup of steaming coffee. Beca's eyes flickered up from the rim of her mug to meet Chloe's, her gaze said it all.

" You still feel guilty about the fight we had yesterday." Beca answered her tone showing that she didn't hold any bitterness about the fight that they had before.

" I really do." Chloe stated.

" Don't. We've been living together for two weeks. I'm surprised we haven't killed each other by now." And just like that any of the anger that they had dealt with was forgotten.

" We've got another two months to go you know. It's July now." Beca looked down at her phone and found that it was indeed July 1st.

" Next time we can fight over something like who does the laundry or something."

" You don't do laundry." Chloe laughed.

" Okay, you have to wait two weeks before you can pick that fight." Beca insisted receiving a playful swat on the shoulder for her trouble.

" I need to talk to you about something." Chloe said after several minutes. Beca only quirked an eyebrow silently waiting. " Fourth of July is coming up." Chloe offered.

" Yeah that tends to happen after July first. Why? Is there some big Beale family shindig that happens?" Beca asked curiously. They hadn't really talked about the fourth, it wasn't ever a huge holiday that Beca celebrated. But it was a stereotypical American Holiday where the entire family got together and played outdoor football and barbequed. Beca figured that Chloe and her family would do stuff like that.

" My parents asked me if you would be willing to host this year with me."

" Host?" Beca was sure her eyes were comically wide at the notion of having Chloe's entire family come down for the fourth of July and spend it in what had essentially become their house.

" Yeah." Chloe answered trying to gauge Beca's reaction.

" They'd all come here?"

" My parents and my siblings. I think my sister might bring her kids I'm not really sure. Usually we end up having the family and then people just show up randomly. Aubrey will be here too." Chloe had nothing but fond memories of the fourth, having her family around and her dad around the barbeque.

" Sounds like fun."

" Really?"

" Well yeah, did you really think I'd say no? Tell your parents that they can't come to their own house?" Beca asked leaning against the counter.

" I didn't want to assume."

" Chloe, family is huge for you. I get that, so we'll host 4th of July with your family." Beca didn't expect Chloe to practically come flying at her, arms surrounding her neck and pulling her in close. Chloe came at her with such a force that it almost sent them tumbling backward.

" Thanks you!"

" We need to go to the store and prepare though."

Beca didn't quite grasp the whirlwind that she had just signed herself up for. Having never been close to her own family they didn't do family gatherings when it came to holidays. Beca could only a remember a handful of times when she was little that they had everyone together usually for Christmas or maybe a birthday if it was an important one. The idea that Chloe's family made the 4th of July such a big deal was charming and it helped explain a lot about Chloe as a person.

Two days was all they had to prepare, Chloe's family was due to arrive on the 4th early in the morning and they would leave on the 5th. There were enough rooms that everyone would have somewhere to sleep but as Chloe explained, when the entire Beale clan got together they would often times hang out until they fell asleep on the couch or even on the floor. The stories that Chloe told Beca about past holidays Beca could hardly believe that grown adults would essentially pile up on the floor in the living room and they would fall asleep there. It was something that Beca desperately wanted to see.

" Are you ready for this?" Chloe asked glancing at the clock knowing that her family was due to arrive any moment. They had gone to the market and they had picked up pretty much anything and everything that they could think to need. Plus, Chloe's parents were bringing their own things. It was promising to be a 4th of July to remember.

" Ready as I'll ever be. What do they know about me anyway? I mean obviously they know I'm here but, is it going to be weird that I'm not here?"

" They are a pretty open bunch. They know that you're my friend from school and that you're going to LA in the fall." Chloe answered simply. It wasn't entirely a lie, if anything it was a half-truth. What she said was true, her family did know that. But her mom and her siblings knew considerably more about her feelings for Beca. Chloe didn't keep secrets from her family, not in the way that Beca did. When they asked her what made Beca so special that Chloe wanted to spend the summer with her, Chloe had told them in every detail she could about what made Beca special in her eyes. But telling Beca that was out of the question. She couldn't tell Beca that her parents knew about the enormous crush she had on Beca because Beca didn't seem quite ready to deal with that yet.

" Do they know we've been sharing a room?" Beca asked in a low voice, like she was revealing a secret to Chloe. Even the way she leaned her head closer to Chloe making the red heads heart beat nearly double.

" I think that should stay our little secret huh?" Chloe replied trying to sound unaffected but not entirely succeeding. Her feet bringing her closer to Beca without her mind telling her to, and then her hand to Beca's waist. It was such an intimate gesture, one that she hadn't dared attempt until now.

" Chloe…" Beca whispered their faces inches apart. It would be simple to just close the distance.

The doorbell ringing interrupted them, forcing them apart. Beca looking anywhere but Chloe as she tried pathetically to look calm and collected when she was really anything but. Chloe answered the door and once the door was thrown open Chloe was greeted with the smiling face of her parents, and siblings. There was a lot of screaming and laughing from what Beca could hear from the kitchen. Shoving her hands nervously in her pockets Beca waited to be introduced to Chloe's family. Seeing Chloe first leading her family inside, followed by who Beca assumed was her dad, and then mother.

Beca had seen pictures of Chloe's parents they were everywhere throughout the house. But seeing them in person was different, her dad for example was a tall man probably hovering around 6 foot give or take a few inches. His hair was salt and peppered but he still maintained a youthful appearance. Behind him, Chloe's mother did not look like she was old enough to have two grown children, she had the same red hair Chloe did and they shared the same eyes.

" Mom, daddy this is Beca. Beca these are my parents." Chloe said looking between Beca and her parents. Beca greeted Chloe's parents as she expected that she was supposed to, she held her hand out to Chloe's dad.

" Nice to meet you." Beca said proud of how confident her voice sounded, Sebastian looked at the smaller woman that stood before her and then he accepted the hand extended to him. His wife, Virginia Beale wasn't having any of that and came around her husband and threw her arms around Beca. Beca knew instantly where Chloe got her disregard for personal space from.

" We don't shake hands in this family honey. We hug."

" I'm slowly learning that." Beca replied finally being released from Virginia's grasp.

" Alright so let's get ready to do this." The next half an hour was a chaotic mess, by the "necessities" Chloe had told her that her family was bringing Beca didn't realize that meant they were bringing enough food to feed an army. It took four trips to the car to bring it all inside.

" So, Beca how's your sanity?" Chloe's brother Griffin asked casually throwing his arms around Chloe from behind.

" My what?" Beca asked seeing Chloe poke her brother in the rib until he let her go.

" Your sanity. I mean, take it from someone that lived with Chloe for eighteen years. It's tough." He said with a laugh.

" Hey!" Chloe said in faux indignation.

" My sanity is fine so far." Beca answered knowing already that she was going to like Chloe's brother.

" Okay, you are not spending any unsupervised time together." Chloe said pulling Beca away from her brother.

" Aw but we were getting along!" Griffin called.

" We'll talk later!" Beca replied allowing Chloe to pull her outside by her hand.

" Do I need to keep you guys separate?" Beca had never seen Chloe like this, Chloe was always bubbly and she was always happy but this was an entirely different level of happiness. Chloe seemed to glow with happiness.

" Probably. I'm going to make him tell me all sorts of embarrassing stories about you later."

" Not fair. I think there are some things that I really don't think he should tell you." Chloe insisted.

" What about no secrets?" Beca challenged.

" These aren't secrets. These are stories that will destroy my dignity and I'm pretty sure would open me up to ridicule for the rest of my days." Chloe said leaning against the deck. The two never spent much time on the deck, which was strange because it was where the pool was. They hadn't used the pool since their arrival preferring the beach to the pool. But now that Sebastian had pulled out the barbeque, from what Virginia said Chloe's sister and her family would be arriving a little before noon.

" Destroy your dignity huh? What trouble did you get into in your youth?"

" You would be surprised. Chloe here is fearless and would do anything and everything her siblings would dare her to do." Sebastian volunteered.

" Which usually led to hospital visits or property damage." Virginia added making Chloe blush an even brighter red.

" Well, well, well weren't you the little trouble maker." Beca said impressed at the side of Chloe that she was learning about.

" Oh my god, shoot me now." Chloe groaned.

" Beca, come help me in the kitchen." Virginia said inviting Beca inside with her. She had been intrigued by the brunette when Chloe had first mentioned Beca to her. It wasn't that Chloe didn't talk about her relationships with her but Chloe didn't usually talk about them in the same way. The guys Chloe dated at Barden weren't meant to be serious, she never mentioned them by name, and it was just about the guy she was seeing. But the first time Virginia had heard about Beca, they had talked for hours about the brunette. Virginia knew it was something special, whatever it may be going on between them. But it was definitely special.

Once alone in the house together Beca followed Virginia towards the kitchen not knowing that they weren't actually there to prepare any food.

" My daughter likes you." Virginia said turning and pinning Beca with a mothers stare.

" Uh…I'm sorry?"

" Chloe, she likes you."

" I like her too."

" I don't usually meddle. I like to let my children experience things on their own and make their own choices. But Chloe's my youngest child and I am particularly protective of her. She has such an open heart."

" Mrs. Beale I don't understand…"

" I'm just asking you not to hurt her."

" We're not…I mean Chloe and I are just friends." Beca insisted finally understanding what it was that Virginia was getting at. The older woman only smiled and nodded. She didn't believe that for a second but she didn't want to push Beca into confronting whatever it was she and Chloe had.

" Of course you are dear."

Thankfully their awkward conversation was interrupted when the doorbell rang and Aubrey walked in. Beca had never been so excited to see the blonde before, but when Aubrey came in Virginia abandoned her and went to go hug Aubrey. Aubrey seemed to notice the look on Beca's face and she couldn't help but laugh, knowing that Beca was probably on the receiving end of one of Virginia's famous 'I know a lot more than you think I know' speeches.

" Thank you." Beca said once it was just she and Aubrey.

" What was she telling you anyway? You looked like you wanted to bolt." Aubrey asked curiously.

" She thinks Chloe and I are dating." Beca said looking towards the deck

" You guys aren't?" Aubrey was genuinely surprised. She had figured that two weeks alone would be enough time for Chloe to convince Beca that they should be together. Aubrey knew how Chloe felt about Beca, and she knew that Beca felt the same way.

" Seriously?" Beca asked incredulously, her eyebrows all but raising straight off her forehead.

" Honestly Beca, everyone knows that you and Chloe have a thing. I just figured that after two weeks of essentially living in domestic bliss you guys would figure it out." Based on Aubrey's tone Beca could tell that for once the blonde wasn't trying to attack her or even be condescending, she was just being honest.

" I don't know what it is. We haven't really talked about it yet."

" But you like her don't you?"

" Of course I do." Beca was surprised with how easily that rolled off her tongue. She'd been so afraid to say it before, and she honestly didn't know why she was able to say it to Aubrey.

" I know you don't want my advice. But hypothetically, if you did, then it would be to just act on it. Tell her, kiss her, something. She's not going to push you away. She's just afraid that you'll freak out if she tries." Aubrey said grabbing a bowl of chips and leaving Beca inside to ponder what sage advice she'd just been given.

After collecting herself Beca returned to the deck where she was promptly handed a beer by Chloe's dad. She didn't say anything, but she gathered that Chloe hadn't informed her family that she wasn't 21 yet. Taking a healthy sip Beca joined Griffin where he stood next to the railing that overlooked the beach. Chloe watched Beca from where she and Aubrey were lounging next to the pool, the pool would probably get plenty of use when Chloe's sister and her kids arrived but until then the two former Bella's enjoyed lounging poolside.

" Seriously Chloe you haven't dealt with your toner yet?" Aubrey asked her voice low but no less shocked.

" I don't want to push her." Chloe replied sheepishly.

" The Chloe I know wouldn't care about that. Where is the confidence of the girl who invaded Beca's shower before even knowing her name? Or the girl who got me to pull my head out of my ass when I wouldn't see reason?" This was new territory for Aubrey, normally Chloe was the one giving the pep talks and the red head was good at them. Aubrey was usually less inspirational and more of a violent shove in the right direction.

" Well the Chloe you know is terrified of possibly pushing the best thing that's ever happened to her out of her life." Chloe grumbled.

" The best thing? Really?" Aubrey asked surprised.

" She's…it sounds so stupid but I think that she could be it Aubrey. You know, the one." Chloe said. Growing up Chloe had always wished for a true love, the kind of things that Disney movies flaunted, bringing up generations of girls believing that a Prince Charming was out there somewhere for them. But as she grew up and learned that along with love there came pain, and break ups, she figured that there might not be just one person she was meant to be with.

" It doesn't sound stupid Chloe."

" But enough of that, let's just have fun today. I'll deal with whatever Beca and I are or aren't tomorrow." Chloe said lifting her drink in a toast and waited for her best friend to join her.

Chaos soon followed in the form of one seven year old named Noah, a three year old named Beth, and a 9 month old named Avery. Chloe and Griffin's older sister Elizabeth and her husband followed their children into the house and Beca watched anxiously as the kids went around hugging everyone. Before Beca knew it arms were being thrown around her legs and she was being hugged by an over excited Noah, who probably didn't realize that he didn't know her until he was already hugging her.

" Come play with me!" He said with the brightest smile Beca had ever seen. She didn't have a chance to say no when he tugged on her hand.

" Noah, be nice to Beca." Elizabeth scolded shooting Beca an apologetic look. Beca looked like a lost puppy that was apparent to all the adults present but lost on the young boy that wanted her to play with him.

" It's okay." Beca said following Noah inside where she guessed was where his toys were. On her way inside Beca looked at Chloe seeing the pleased look on the red heads face.

It was forty minutes before Chloe saw Beca again, Elizabeth had ventured in after a ten minutes to make sure that Beca was alright entertaining her hyper son. When she returned declaring that the two were fine Chloe fought the urge to go inside and see exactly how Beca was handling the seven year old. But she decided against it, if Beca was holding her own then she didn't want to make Beca think that she couldn't handle it.

" Mommy! Mommy you have to come and see what Beca taught me!" Noah called running out to get his mom and whoever else would come see.

" What did she teach you?" Elizabeth asked matching her son's enthusiasm with a practiced mix of sincerity and humoring her son. Noah's enthusiasm had caught the attention of pretty much everyone, he just looked so excited. Beca appeared in the doorway holding a plastic cup and Chloe knew exactly what Beca had taught him. He took the cup with confidence and sat down on the ground like Beca had during her audition. With only a few mistakes Noah made it through the performance and looked up at Beca afterwards waiting for her approval.

Everyone applauded when he finished Beca gave him a high five before he ran off to Elizabeth telling her that Beca was pretty much the coolest person in the world. Chloe approached Beca seeing Beca watch Noah as he regaled his mom and now grandmother about how he had learned the cup trick.

" Looks like you have a fan." Chloe said. She'd been surprised at Beca's willingness to spend time with Noah, but then again she didn't know Beca's thoughts on kids. All she knew was that Beca was anti-marriage. But from what she saw Beca was a natural, at least with her nephew.

" Just one? Have you turned against me?" Beca teased.

" Never. I didn't know you were so good with kids."

" He made it easy. He asked if I knew any tricks. He was a good student after that." Beca was trying to be casual about it, the fact that she got along so well with Noah was in fact a small miracle. In fact she didn't get along with children, like at all. They scared her because of their fragile nature, and they intimidated her. But Noah didn't seem all that bad.

" I think it's sweet." Chloe offered bumping shoulders with the smaller brunette.

The day passed by with a mixture of hilarity and storytelling. Beca fell in love with Chloe's family. They were everything that she wished her family was. Chloe's parents were still hopelessly in love with each other, they bickered and Virginia very much held the reigns over Sebastian but still there was a deep love and devotion that Beca would have to be blind not to see. Griffin and Elizabeth were great, they teased as siblings did but it wasn't meant to be mean or insulting. Even Aubrey seemed like a more light hearted version of herself, going so far as to actually be more than cordial with Beca and inquire about Beca's plans for the future. She never wanted the day to end.

Sebastian as it turned out was some sort of barbeque genius or something but he cooked it all, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn, steak, anything and everything he was sure could be barbequed. Beca had never eaten so much before, but each time he looked at her with those pleading eyes Beca felt terrible saying she was full. Finally she managed to escape the onslaught of food by venturing down to the beach. They had all scattered to do their own thing for a while before they were going to set off the fireworks. Another tradition that Beca had never partaken in.

Sitting on the blanket that they had decided just to leave on the beach, what was the point of taking it up the steps and inside when they just had to bring it back down the next day? The air around her was rapidly cooling but with her hoodie it wasn't too bad. Feeling arms snake around her waist Beca glanced behind her in time to catch a glimpse at Chloe before she sat down behind her.

" So this is where you escaped to." Chloe said. Beca didn't even comment on the intimate nature of the embrace she found herself in. Probably because she was enjoying it too much. More than she should if she was looking at it from a friendship end.

" Just thinking. Your family is pretty cool." Beca said conversationally.

" They love you."

" Thank you."

" For what?"

" For this. I mean, I don't have a lot of fond memories of holidays. Most of them I've spent alone. So thanks for letting me be a part of this one." Beca said turning slightly so that she could catch a glimpse of Chloe out of the corner of her eye unable to contain her smile when she felt Chloe's arms tighten around her.

" Can I talk to you about something? I know I should wait, but I don't know if I can anymore." Chloe started, Beca felt Chloe's words caress the shell of her ear. " When I asked you to come up here with me I told you that I wanted to know if we could figure out what was going on between us. And we haven't really been figuring it out."

" I know."

" I just have one question. I'm not going to say it's an easy question to answer. One question, yes or no answer." Chloe said prompting Beca to turn around to face her. When Beca did she waited patiently for the question to be asked, even if it really didn't need to be. The lull of the waves crashing onto the beach filling the silence that might otherwise have been an awkward silence. " Do you have feelings for me?"

There it was, finally out in the open the question that had served as the giant elephant in the room for months. Beca looked at Chloe, seeing the descending sunlight casting a golden glow over Chloe's face making her look even more beautiful. Chloe was right, it wasn't an easy question to answer, but not for the reason she thought. Beca could scarcely breath let alone form words. In the end all she could do was nod, the slow movement in the affirmative allowing Chloe to breathe again.

" Say it Beca. Please." Chloe pleaded, though her request was paired with her hand cupping the side of Beca's face, her finger tips brushing back a few unruly strands of the brunette's hair.

" Yes." It was barely a whisper, over the crushing waves Chloe wasn't even entirely sure she heard the word or imagined it. But it didn't matter; it was enough to give her the confidence to pull Beca forward intent on bringing their lips together. Chloe made sure to go slow, allow Beca plenty of time to stop her if she wanted to until finally their lips met in a gentle, barely there, ghost of a kiss. It was just enough for Chloe to get a taste of Beca's lips and know that she wanted more, but to her surprise it was Beca who deepened the kiss.

Leaning forward Beca increased the contact of their lips, resting her weight on her arms that were framing Chloe's crossed legs. Taking Chloe's bottom lip between her own Beca felt Chloe's finger tips, which had up until that point been passively caressing the sensitive area beneath her ear; move to behind her neck pulling her ever closer. Feather light touches of their lips were soon replaced with longer, more determined kisses until finally their lips parted simultaneously and Chloe's tongue effortlessly slipped into the brunette's mouth.

Beca had heard that stereotypically she should have been seeing fireworks exploding behind her eyes. But in reality it was so much more than fireworks, her entire body felt like a firework. The very blood in her veins was threatening to combust the longer her lips stayed fused to Chloe's. Chloe pulled away far before either of them really wanted for it to end but she needed to see Beca. Needed to look into the stormy gray/blue eyes that she loved so much. Seeing Beca's eyes still closed, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth.

" I knew you would be a good kisser." Chloe said resting her forehead against Beca's.

" You're one to talk." Beca replied with her trademark grin.

" We should probably get back, they'll come looking for us and I don't think either of us want to get caught in a position like this." Chloe suggested. Beca nodded slowly inching back until she was sitting on her knees in front of Chloe.

" Talk done?" Beca asked standing and helping Chloe to her feet.

" There is a lot we need to talk about but that can wait. Are you okay with this?" Chloe asked lacing her fingers with Beca's as they walked back.

" Definitely okay. Besides I think you're mom thinks we're already dating. This won't be a shock to them."

Together all of them watched the fireworks that Sebastian and Griffin lit off over the ocean. The night was full of laughter and love, everything that it was supposed to have. After the fireworks ended, modest of a display as I was, the children were put to bed and the adults retired into the living room where as Chloe had said they drank and they talked, and laughed until the wee hours of the morning until many of them were passed out where they sat.

" It was really nice meeting you." Beca said hugging Virginia for what felt like the hundredth time since the Beale's had announced that they were leaving. An hour prior.

" I swear you love her more than you love me." Chloe pouted looking at her mother.

" You weren't supposed to find out this way darling." Virginia said while separating from Beca and hugging her daughter. Aubrey had departed earlier in the morning with only a knowing smile on her face and a brief hug to both of them. Elizabeth and her family left a little after that.

" Take care of each other."

And then the house was empty again, it seemed so much emptier. Chloe closed the door and walked back to the living room where Beca was now sitting on the couch. Crossing the length of the room Chloe practically collapsed against Beca.

" Well that was fun." Chloe offered though there was no shortage of exhaustion in her tone.

" It was actually." Beca said shifting to get slightly more comfortable. Chloe groaned when she felt Beca's hands begin to slowly knead at her shoulders. Hissing when Beca's fingers found a particularly tense spot. She loved her family so much, but hanging out with them over a holiday was still stressful.

" That feels good." Chloe sighed. Chloe could feel Beca as she laughed, but continued with her gentle massage. Slowly Beca's massage became less about relieving tension and more about sensual caresses. Chloe didn't realized it right away, not consciously anyway, but her body did. A few strokes of her fingers and Chloe's body was very aware of what Beca was doing. Her eyes fluttering closed, bottom lip trapped between her teeth to withhold several sounds that might make Beca stop.

" This is supposed to be relaxing you." Beca's hot breath against her ear did anything but relax Chloe. But even she had to know what she was doing when her hands left Chloe's shoulders trailing down her arms until she reached Chloe's wrists and traveling back upward.

" I'm relaxed." Chloe insisted.

" You're awfully tense." Beca scolded her lips brushing against Chloe's ear coaxing a sound out of Chloe that sent a jolt of arousal straight through Beca settling between her legs.

" Beca." Chloe moaned, though it only spurred Beca on. Trailing her fingers along Chloe's flat stomach feeling it tremble.

" I've waited a year to be able to touch you like this. Now you expect me to behave?" Beca asked her smile nothing short of a Cheshire smile on her face.

" You better not." Chloe whispered, this time instead of arching into Beca's hands she pushed back into Beca and hearing the younger girl whimper at the contact.

" What do you say we take this upstairs?"

" Are you ready for that?" Chloe asked trying to shake her thoughts free of her arousal to think clearly just long enough.

" Very. Are you?" Instead of answering Chloe got up and held her hand out to Beca.

Walking into their bedroom Chloe heard the door close and turned seeing Beca looking at her with a look that could be the definition of lust. Beca was resting against the door, her hands behind her back. Toying with the hem of her t-shirt Chloe began to pull it up when Beca rushed forward stopping Chloe.

" Let me." Beca said waiting for Chloe to nod before she lifted Chloe's shirt up and over her head, dropping it with a dull thud on the floor her eyes never leaving Chloe's. It took a moment to remember that she had in fact seen Chloe naked before. After all how could Beca forget their first official meeting when Chloe had stormed into her shower with no regard for the fact that they were both naked. Chloe had been gorgeous then, but now, now that Beca was allowed to actually look at the redhead unabashedly Beca could take in every inch of beauty.

They took turns taking articles of clothing off of each other, slowly appreciating the intimacy of it, the openness and trust that had been the culmination of an entire year. Sitting on the edge of the bed now clad in only her underwear and bra Chloe pulled Beca down on top of her and brought their lips together in a slow and sensual kiss only parting when they were both breathless.

Nudging Chloe's legs apart so that she could fit between them so that there didn't need to be any space between them they both groaned in appreciation of the increased contact. Normally it would feel strange, like they might be rushing whatever it was that they had. But it was really a year in the making, there was no nervousness there was no hesitation, even if maybe there should be.

Beca was the first to break the kiss, moving her attention to Chloe's jaw and then down her neck. Once she began placing hot, open mouthed kisses she felt Chloe's hand in her hair encouraging her on. While her mouth pressed kisses along Chloe's collar bone, enjoying the sounds that it elicited from the red head Beca brought the hand not supporting her weight up to palm Chloe's breast. Smiling when Chloe's hips bucked upward into hers and the grip that Chloe had on her hair tightened almost painfully.

There were no words that could describe how turned on Chloe was just by kissing Beca. Beca was driving her to the brink of insanity in all the best ways. Somewhere in the haze of kisses and caresses Chloe could feel her bra being removed and then Beca's mouth surrounding her nipple and applying just the right amount of suction and nibbling that made it impossible for Chloe to think properly in any way other than she wanted to feel more of Beca.

" Beca…" Chloe whined forcing her eyes open to look down at the brunette and seeing Beca's eyes flicker up at her in silent question. " Please."

Beca could have spent the rest of the day memorizing the spots of Chloe's body that made her make those sweet sounds. But they had time for that. Now Beca just wanted to see Chloe lose control. Removing Chloe's underwear Beca gazed down at Chloe, laying completely naked before her. Chloe's eyes staring up at her with unfiltered want, and a shade of dark that Beca had never seen.

And then Beca's mouth was on Chloe, tasting for the first time and Beca was addicted. Watching Chloe's reaction to each of her tongue movements Beca quickly learned what it took to drive Chloe to the very brink, taking her to the exact point before denying Chloe the release she so craved. She did that a few times until Chloe's breathing had become short gasps and the sounds that she was making were enough to drive Beca wild.

When Chloe climaxed it was Beca's name on her lips as she felt waves of ecstasy wash over her as Beca didn't cease her attention until Chloe fell back on the bed. Breathing hard Chloe pulled Beca up and crashed their lips together.

" I am so getting you back for that." Chloe growled flipping them over.

**Look forward to the rest of July, and see how these two deal with the sudden change in their relationship. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for all of your reviews and you're support. Truly, it means so much to me. So here is the rest of July. Hope you guys enjoy it. It's pretty fluffy. :-) **

July pt. 2

Beca woke slowly, consciousness creeping into what felt like the most restful sleep she'd ever had. She fought it, nestling further into the pillow and the blankets that she had wrapped around her. Until she realized, although Beca wasn't entirely sure how she could have forgotten, that she was completely naked. Consciousness seemed to return rather quickly after that, sitting up and pulling the sheet tighter around her chest to hide her nakedness. The suddenness of her movement woke her still slumbering companion and Beca looked down to see Chloe's eyes flutter open.

" Hey." Chloe greeted her voice rough and full of sleep still. Beca had never heard a sexier sound.

" Hey." Beca said with a faint smirk as she relaxed.

" You looked like you were ready to run." Chloe said with a nervous look. She didn't know really what to expect when she woke up next to Beca. After they had spent most of the night making love Chloe hadn't really wanted to think about what might happen the morning after.

" No. I was just a little disoriented." Beca replied leaning back into the pillows but seeing Chloe continue to look at her suspiciously. In all honesty Beca couldn't really blame Chloe for being suspicious of her. Beca had told her time and time again how she ran from things when they got serious. She pushed people away because it was easier than dealing with what it might mean.

" Are you really okay? I mean, we kinda jumped into this last night." Chloe said daring to reach out and touch Beca's hand, sighing inwardly relieved when Beca didn't pull away.

" I don't regret what happened last night Chlo. It's a long time coming if you ask me." Chloe looked at Beca closely, trying to find any sign that she might be lying or telling her what she wants to hear when she saw nothing but sincerity shining out of the stormy gray eyes she loved so much Chloe finally started relaxing.

Curling against Beca's body, Chloe ran her leg along Beca's seeing the brunette's eyes go wide and her breath caught in her throat. The intimacy of the contact making it difficult for Beca to remember how to breathe, Chloe had that effect on Beca even if Beca hated admitting it.

" I thought you hated cuddling." Chloe teased feeling Beca's hand curl around the curve of her hip, turning them to face one another while pulling Chloe closer.

" I did. Depends on the partner I suppose." Beca said feigning deep contemplation.

" Are you saying I'm a good partner or…?" Chloe asked pushing Beca onto her back so that she was lying almost on top of Beca. Her blue eyes twinkling playfully while she waited for Beca's response.

" You're not bad."

" Not bad! Oh you little..." Beca squeaked when Chloe's fingers dug into her sides.

" Say uncle." Chloe said as Beca squirmed underneath her laughing uncontrollably while Chloe tickled her.

" Okay uncle!" Beca cried falling back against the bed when Chloe finally stopped. Gasping for breath Beca looked up at Chloe and saw the smug and otherwise all too pleased with herself look.

" What do you say we spend all day in bed." Chloe suggested lowering her lips to Beca's jaw, feeling Beca turn her head upward giving Chloe more access to her skin.

" I could be…convinced." Beca hissed when Chloe nipped at her skin, a slight punishment for her response even if they both knew that Beca would stay in bed with Chloe all day if the red head asked.

Closing her eyes Beca felt her entire body flush with desire, it was slightly embarrassing the effect that Chloe had on Beca. Even though Chloe was only pressing chaste kisses along her jaw, Chloe was still very naked and now Beca was actually allowed to touch the red head. Just the thought of that made Beca's mind go to very naughty places.

" Chloe…" Beca moaned arching into her girlfriends touch desperate to increase the contact. And Chloe was swirling her tongue teasingly along Beca's neck, like she was intent on driving Beca crazy.

" Hmm?" Chloe hummed her question, her eyes flickering up to take in the expression on Beca's face. The brunette's eyebrows were drawn together like she was focusing hard on something, her eyes closed tightly, and her bottom lip ensnared between her teeth.

" Not…nice." Beca groaned.

" I think I'm very nice actually." Chloe replied bringing their lips together, Beca had a way of completely taking Chloe's breath away. Beca kissed with such passion, like she was putting all of herself into kissing Chloe, it was the kind of kiss that made her toes curl. Beca really was an amazing kisser, not that Chloe ever doubted it. But now that she actually experienced kissing Beca she never wanted to stop. She was addicted.

" Definitely nice." Beca mumbled against Chloe's lips. Finally Chloe couldn't take it anymore, she needed more. Trailing her hand down Beca's side, over her hip until she reached the outside of Beca's thigh and gripping the flesh she found there pulling Beca's hip up against her. Fisting the sheet at her side Beca knew she was completely at the mercy of the girl above her Chloe could do things to her body and evoke reactions that Beca didn't think was possible.

Whimpering when Beca felt Chloe's leg slip between her thighs pressing against Beca coating her thigh in the wetness she found there. Feeling the effect she had on Beca filled Chloe with a huge amount of pride, she could make the unflappable Beca Mitchell completely come undone. Beca developed a sensual rhythm against Chloe's thigh while they continued to kiss; there was no hurry despite the slow heat that was beginning to spread through the pit of her stomach.

There was definitely the appeal of quick, passion filled, and explosively powerful sex. There was no doubt that it was pleasure filled. But the slow burning, sensual, escalating kind of making love often Beca found that yielded the more rewarding results. Her body craved that release, she could feel the tightening of her stomach, the way her body was quivering and begging her to just move quicker, press _harder_. But she kept her movements controlled let things move along as they did.

Finally though, there was a point where Beca's brain simply stopped working and it was all about sensation. Feeling Chloe driving her closer to the edge and knowing that she was completely powerless to stop it, Chloe could sense it in the way Beca's movements became jerkier, and more frantic.

Breaking their kiss Chloe looked down at Beca's eyes, seeing the darkened gaze and lust filled eyes. It was clear that Beca was battling to keep her eyes open, to maintain their eye contact it made the sensation so much more intense. Using her free hand to wrap around Chloe's neck keeping her close, their rapid breaths mixing in the small space between them.

" Chloe…" Beca whimpered, her voice quivering.

" You're so beautiful Beca. Watching you come undone like this, so breathtaking." Chloe whispered, smiling when she felt Beca begin to tremble.

Watching as Beca's orgasm swept over her face, when she closed her eyes and tilted her head back a quiet cry tumbling over her lips. Chloe had never seen anything more beautiful than, beautiful didn't seem to do the sight justice. The sight of it, the sounds Beca made, the way she felt moving against Chloe. It was all so overwhelming before Chloe knew it she was pushed over the edge and falling against Beca.

Moments passed while they caught their breath Beca's free hand that had held the sheets up to tangle into Chloe's hair.

" Jesus." Chloe whispered surprised at her own reaction to Beca.

" You are amazing." Beca said ghosting a kiss over Chloe's cheek before Chloe moved off of Beca.

When the desire for food finally brought them both down from the cocoon of their bed Beca went to the kitchen while Chloe took her usual spot at the counter. Beca made up something simple that would sate them before they cooked dinner together. That was a tradition that they never stopped, they never missed a night.

" Do you want to talk about it?" Chloe asked curiously, she had been debating how she could breach the subject without making things awkward between them. She didn't want to push Beca, or force some sort of commitment that Beca didn't want to have, but she couldn't stand not knowing where they stood. In the few hours that had passed since they had slept together there had been no other question on her mind than that one.

Beca looked over at her, breaking her concentration on the mix that she was working on. Chloe had abandoned the hope of actually getting any reading done, her book was propped up on her lap but she wasn't actually processing the words that her eyes took in. It wasn't that things had been particularly awkward between them during the morning, in fact they had been just like they always had. They ate breakfast and talked casually about what they wanted to do for the day, and then they went about what they said they wanted to do.

" Talk about what?" Beca asked genuinely confused, they hadn't been talking about anything in at least an hour.

" The fact that we had sex last night. And this morning."

" I thought that was pretty self-explanatory."

" Fine. I want to talk about what that means for us." Beca watched Chloe silently, Chloe was always better with words than Beca was so she was going to let Beca take the lead on this one. " I want it to mean that we're more than friends that we're together. I want it to mean that we are dating. Because I like you Beca, I've liked you since the first moment you walked up to our booth at the Activities Fair. I like how you are selective of who you let in because it makes me feel special that you've chosen to let me in. I like that you always have a witty retort to anything that is said to you. I like that you seem so completely ignorant of how completely breathtaking you are. I just…I need you to acknowledge that last night was more than just something you did because you felt like it."

Chloe kept her eyes trained on Beca looking for any sort of non-verbal response from the brunette. Beca had stoicism down to an art, but Chloe needed to see something. She needed Beca to give her some sort of response otherwise she would go insane.

" I…" Beca started before cutting herself off. Shaking her head like she'd just thought through what she was going to say and decided against saying it, closing her lap top and abandoning it on the table so that she could walk towards Chloe the redhead looking at her a mixture of confusion and hope on her face. " My entire life people have given up on me. I push them away because I know that it's inevitable that they discover that I am beyond fixable. A part of me broke when my parents divorced and the rest of it shattered when my mom died. Eventually everyone figures that out and they leave. You know more about me than anyone else and you don't go running for the hills. I'm not afraid to tell you things, even the twisted things that go through my brain because I'm not scared you're going to run away."

" I'm not." Chloe said although she didn't need to. She wouldn't leave Beca even if Beca did try and push her away.

" You say that you want to be more than friends Chloe. But you've never just been my friend. You've always been more than that. You say that you want to date, we can't do that." Beca said. Chloe's eyes widened in shock at Beca's words, they were definitely not what she was expecting to hear at the end of Beca's monologue. Now with the way that it had been going. Beca couldn't help but smile a little which only made Chloe more confused.

" I don't understand." Chloe said finally.

" Dating is something you do when you are trying to get to know someone, I already know you. Dating is something you do when you're trying to figure out if you want to spend a good chunk of your life with them; I already know that I want to wake up like we did this morning every day for the rest of our lives." Beca saw tears in Chloe's eyes and reached down and brushed them away with the pad of her thumb.

" If we're not dating then what are we?" Chloe asked finding her voice. She'd never imagined that she'd hear Beca say such things. Beca did seem to have a way with words for someone who claimed to be terrible at them.

" I dunno, that's where you're going to have to help me on that one. Dating just doesn't seem like an appropriate word for what we have. Am I freaking you out?" Beca asked realizing that she was all but confessing her love to Chloe. Despite how true it was, Beca didn't really want to scare Chloe off when she was trying to do the opposite.

" No, God definitely not. I had no idea you felt that strongly."

" Then I'm doing something wrong." Beca said laughing quietly to herself. Feeling Chloe wrap her arms around her neck and nuzzle affectionately at her neck pulled Chloe close.

" You know, just because we're beyond the dating stage doesn't mean that you're getting out of taking me on dates." Chloe commented earning herself a playful poke in the ribs.

" I think I can manage that."

A few miles down the road from the beach houses was the main part of town, nothing big or busy, but it was a town at least. Beca didn't think it was possible but it made Barden look big in comparison. It was a few weeks after they had officially begun their relationship and Chloe wanted to go on a date. So Beca agreed that they would go in town and go to dinner or something. It seemed like the appropriate date thing to do despite having limited experience with dating.

There was no shortages of restaurants in town, but only one Movie Theater. Their deal was that Chloe could pick the movie they saw if Beca could pick the restaurant, given the brunette's utter hatred for all things movie related Chloe was pretty sure she was getting the better end of that deal. Beca picked a small bakery/restaurant that looked out of place in the sea of large, probably overpriced restaurants around town.

" Hello dear, just one tonight?" Beca was greeted by a woman who had to be in her late 70's.

" There's going to be two of us eventually. I'm just looking for places." Beca explained browsing over the menu and liking very much what she saw.

" I see, let me know if you have any questions." And Beca was left to read the menu. The décor of the restaurant was more nostalgic than anything, there were pictures that lined the wall of the town, of different cities all over the world, and some black and white photos of a young couple that Beca could only assume was the old woman when she was younger. Beca stopped when she caught a glimpse of one of the pictures of LA.

" Have you ever been to Los Angeles?" Beca jumped, looking over her shoulder and seeing this time an older man standing behind her. He was a respectable distance away from her but Beca hadn't even heard him come up.

" I'm moving there at the end of the summer." Beca answered.

" Beautiful city. You'll love it."

" I hope so."

" What brings you into town tonight?" He asked conversationally.

" My girlfriend and I are going on our first date." Beca said trying to gauge his reaction. She didn't know how warm a reception she and Chloe might get from them, and she really didn't want to hide that she was in fact in a relationship with Chloe when they were on their first official date.

" First dates are magical things. I remember when I was picking up Nora for our first date. I was so nervous I couldn't stop shaking."

" I'm not so much nervous just excited I think. Chloe and I have a lot of history." Beca didn't know why she felt so comfortable talking to this man she'd just met about her relationship with Chloe. Maybe it was just a feeling that she had that he might understand.

" Were you guy's friends first?"

" Best friends actually."

" Same with Nora and me. She's my best friend, we've been married for going on 50 years now." Beca couldn't believe she almost "aw'd" when she saw the utter love he still had for his wife. And after 50 years, Beca didn't think that was possible.

" Fifty years? How'd you manage that?"

" He understood dear that I am always right." Beca saw the old woman return with a smile on her face having probably eaves dropped on their conversation. He laughed and nodded his agreement. " Goodness where are my manners I'm Andy."

" Beca."

" Tell you what Beca, you bring your lady friend here tonight. We'll help you make it a night she'll never forget."

" Thanks."

Beca returned to the beach house a few hours later and found Chloe waiting for her in a beautiful blue and white sundress. It took several minutes for Beca to even be able to compliment Chloe on how she looked, Chloe simply took her breath away. How she had gone an entire year without realizing it was a mystery that she would never really solve.

" So do you have tonight figured out?" Chloe asked knowing that Beca had went out with the intention of making the night perfect for them. If Beca hadn't been so cute Chloe would have insisted that it wasn't necessary. She just wanted to go out with Beca instead for a change.

" I do. I found a place I think you're going to love." Beca replied with her trademark smirk.

" I don't doubt it."

Beca walked Chloe towards the small restaurant and opened the door for her. Chloe was instantly charmed by the small, quaint restaurant. Nora stood behind the counter greeting Beca with a smile and walking around the counter to greet Chloe.

" Come with me dears." Chloe cast a curious look back at Beca who just shrugged and they followed Nora into the back of the restaurant. There, in the middle of a small courtyard was a table set up for the two of them with a candle burning and a few lamps set up.

" Wow, did you do all this?" Chloe asked taking in the sight before her. It was perfect, more perfect than anything she'd ever imaged for a first date.

" Beca told us it was your first date tonight. We wanted to help her make it special for you." Andy said ushering them to the table while they sat down. Once left alone Chloe looked back at Beca who looked slightly baffled as well.

" You made some friends while you were in town." Chloe commented.

" They've been married for fifty years."

Dinner was amazing, probably the best food that either of them had ever eaten before. Conversation flowed as it always did with them, easily. Naturally Nora and Andy were topics of their conversation, and how sweet it was that they were trying to make things perfect for the two of them.

" How did you like everything?" Nora asked with Andy standing not far behind her.

" Everything was amazing. Thank you guys so much." Chloe said her smile bright and Beca knew that the older couple would have no problem telling that Chloe was truly happy.

" It was our pleasure. It's not every day we get to see the beginnings of a relationship. It brings back memories."

As they were leaving Chloe saw that Andy had pulled Beca aside and whispered something that made Beca smile and had her nodding before the brunette joined her at the car. The rest of their date continued on like the beginning, absolutely perfect. Beca couldn't even really complain about the movie because she was hardly paying attention to it. As the lights dimmed Chloe had pushed the arm rest that served as a barrier between them up so that she could cuddle into Beca's side. Fifteen minutes later Chloe had grasped Beca's hand with her own, manipulating it so that it was palm up on Beca's thigh, where Chloe proceeded to trace teasing patterns on it.

" What did he say to you?" Chloe asked when they walked into the house later that night, both girls shrugging off their outer wear.

" Who?" Beca asked knowing full well who Chloe meant.

" I saw Andy pulling you aside when we left the restaurant. What did he say?" Chloe explained.

" He said…he said not to let you go because we have a forever love. He said that we reminded him of him and Nora when they were our age." Beca confessed.

" Do you agree with him?" Chloe dared to ask knowing that Beca didn't think that relationships lasted. Nothing in Beca's past had shown her that there was hope for a successful relationship after fifty years.

" Yeah I think I do."

**A/N: Warned you guys filled with fluff. August is going to bring some trouble for the girls though be prepared for a long chapter. **


	4. Chapter 4

**So here it is guys! Thanks for being so patient with me. I found this ending hard to write that's why it took so long. Hope you enjoyed the story. **

August

LA now weighed on Beca's mind like a brewing storm that she wanted to avoid instead of a thought she once looked forward to. She needed to start preparing; she needed to find a job or something to support herself when she had to pay for things like rent or food. She needed to find a place to live. All the time she had spent in July thinking that she would just "get to it later" were now over and she was running out of "laters".

She and Chloe never talked about it, for everything else they talked about they never mentioned what might actually happen when the summer ended and they were faced with the farewell that they were both unwilling to say before. It came down to Beca realizing that she was less willing to confront the inevitability than she thought she would be. LA had been her dream ever since she discovered her passion for music, it had been all she'd ever wanted growing up and now it was _so _close and she just wanted was more time.

Chloe had noticed Beca's change of attitude, her sudden melancholy but she hadn't known how to bring it up. Beca had hidden it and it was only ever truly evident when Beca thought Chloe wasn't looking. But when Chloe returned from the store in the early afternoon she found Beca's lap top open to apartment listings in LA. Seeing the apartment listings was like a punch in the stomach and Chloe needed to sit down to process it.

" Hey did you need help with…" Beca stopped when she saw what Chloe was staring at. The grocery bags lay completely forgotten on the kitchen floor while Chloe looked at the computer screen.

" Looking for apartments?" Chloe asked her gaze shifting to Beca and seeing the brunette staring at her feet.

" I thought I better start." Beca answered trying her damnedest to appear nonchalant but failing miserably. Daring to venture into the living room Beca found Chloe's usually warm and inviting persona absent and Beca felt for the first time timid around the redhead. She didn't know how Chloe was going to deal with the end of the summer given how she handled the end of the school year.

" Oh." Was Chloe's only reply and Beca found herself wishing that Chloe might say anything more than that. Get angry and start yelling, even throw something. Anything would have been better than the one syllable response she got.

" Who are we kidding Chloe? What did we think was going to happen when the summer was over? We can't just stay here for the rest of our lives. As much as we both might want to." Beca offered sitting down next to Chloe. Chloe couldn't look at Beca, she didn't want to be angry with the brunette but she found that she was. Maybe it was the naïve and her over bubbly nature that people always made fun of her for that made her think that maybe, just maybe Beca would agree to come to New York with her.

" I don't know what I thought. But seeing you actually looking for apartments makes it more real." Chloe said. It was a naïve hope that somehow the new evolution of their relationship, they haven't talked about what they were officially. Beca didn't like labels and they didn't really need one when they were so far removed from the real world. It was sudden, their relationship was still in the fledgling stage, and in fact that was probably why Chloe felt so strongly about it. They were stuck in the honeymoon phase where it was easy to believe that their feelings and their relationship would always be as it was. The real world hadn't invaded their happy bubble yet.

Beca reached for Chloe's hand and squeezed it gently.

" What do we do?" Beca asked desperately. She'd finally found what she thought she could do without, Chloe had been responsible for opening Beca's fortified heart again and Beca didn't want to lose that. But LA was her _dream_. And she couldn't give that up.

" I don't know."

" We both have commitments on opposite sides of the country." Beca stated.

" I have a job waiting for me in New York." Chloe said, her tone implying that Beca didn't have an actual commitment in LA. Not yet anyway.

" That's not fair Chloe." Beca said running her hands through her hair. She would love to fall back on her usual defensiveness but she didn't doubt that Chloe had faith that she would succeed in LA. Chloe's confidence in Beca's music mixing ability had been something that Beca had leaned on during some of the times when nothing she was coming up with sounded right and she was hopelessly blocked.

" I'm sorry. Maybe you could just come to New York for a few months maybe get a job at one of the clubs there?" Chloe knew she shouldn't be asking but she couldn't not ask.

" I can't Chloe. LA is my dream."

" I know, I just had to ask." Turning her body towards Chloe cupping the side of Chloe's face and making the red head look at her. Bringing their lips together desperately, hoping to portray everything she felt into one kiss. Vaguely Beca could feel Chloe's hands bunching the fabric of her tank top but the moment Chloe's nails scratched along the small of her back suddenly that was _all_ Beca could feel. Throwing her leg over Chloe's leg Beca groaned at the increased contact.

" Bec…we need to talk about this." Chloe insisted as Beca's lips moved down her neck and just the tip of her tongue running along Chloe's pulse point and feeling Chloe shudder.

" We can talk later." Beca replied pressing her hips down against Chloe's and knowing that she had won when Chloe's fingers dug into her skin keeping her there. Beca knew that this was a particular weakness of Chloe's, whenever Beca took charge. Chloe had tried to explain it once but it didn't matter the reason behind it, all that really mattered was that it affected Chloe in such a way that it evoked the sounds that Beca most loved to hear. Like the whimper that escaped Chloe's lips as Beca bit down on her collar bone.

Things were quickly escalating and neither one of them dared to stop, even if it was only until they went up into the bedroom. Chloe was sure it wasn't fair for someone to be as good of a kisser as Beca was; the brunette took her breath away so effortlessly. Especially the hunger behind Beca's kisses, the way she couldn't seem to get quite close enough but kept trying shifting closer and closer until she had Chloe pinned against the couch cushions.

Afterwards when they lay tangled in each other on the floor, lying on the brink of falling asleep Beca didn't even try and fight the smile that tugged at her lips when she felt Chloe's figures in her hair. Forcing her eyes open Beca found Chloe staring at her, bright cerulean eyes speaking the words that the red head didn't.

" I love you." Chloe whispered, the words washing over Beca. Instead of feeling the terror that Beca expected to feel when she heard those words Beca just felt the most amazing warmth surround her entire body, more notably her heart. When Beca started to respond Chloe shook her head telling Beca that she wasn't finished yet. " I've loved you since that day at the activities fair when you told Aubrey that you thought acapella was lame and I thought she was going to kill you."

" I thought she was going to full on lunge at me." Beca remembered.

" The thought did cross her mind. But I started to fall for you in that moment. And I've loved you every day since. I know love terrifies you and you don't have to say it back. But I wanted you to know." Chloe finished pulling her bottom lip between her teeth and waited to see what Beca's reaction would be. So far she couldn't tell how Beca was going to react, at least she took it as a positive that Beca wasn't moving away.

" The night after the disaster at semi-finals. After I said that thing to you and you looked at me so hurt. I was too angry to really notice. But I remember that once I had calmed down a little bit from it all I was so sick with how I had treated you. There you were taking a chance on me, you didn't need to take me into your world but you did. You didn't need to be my friend but you were. I fell in love with you then." Seeing Chloe's face brighten when she said the words Beca didn't regret saying them for even a fragment of a second. It was true; she was completely in love with Chloe. And if the smile on Chloe's face was any sign Beca would say it a hundred times a day just to see the happiness on Chloe's face.

" Say it again." Chloe requested.

" I love you." Beca repeated.

Somehow three little words were able to take away the dread that had been following the two of them around for the past few days. Though if either of them had cared to look at it fully they would have realized that the words didn't stop time, they didn't make the summer any more permanent. They were just words. Words that they had been saying to each other in a million little ways for months.

When their last week was upon them it was like a dark cloud had descended over them and they weren't able to shake it. Beca's flight to LA was booked and Chloe was due to drive to the city on the same day, the real world was crashing in on them whether they were ready for it or not. They made their promises, even a schedule of who would call whom and when, Skype dates that would somehow take away the loneliness the distance brought. It wouldn't, but neither of them had the heart to admit it.

The lull of the waves crashing into the shore was still as soothing to Beca as it was the first time Chloe had dragged her down to sit. She was going to miss it, sure there were beaches in LA probably better ones even with warmer weather. But that wasn't the point, this was their beach. Nothing would make any other beach in the whole world better than this one. Because while she was there Chloe was in her arms.

" What time do you have to go tomorrow?" Chloe asked suddenly. Beca glanced down at the head of red hair.

" The cab will be here around 8." Beca answered releasing her hold on Chloe when she felt the older girl begin to shift like she was going to sit up.

" It's going to be hard." Chloe mused while she ran her fingers along Beca's leg.

" But we can do it."

" I know. It would just be so much easier if I knew when we'd be together again." Beca nodded her agreement but she didn't know what to say to that. With their careers leading them to opposite sides of the country it wasn't like they could make a plan for one of them to move to be with the other.

" We'll make it work."

Later that night while they lay cuddled together, Beca's arms tightly around Chloe neither of them were sleeping. The clock on the bedside table said that it was close to midnight and both of them desperately needed sleep for the long day of traveling that they had in store for them. But sleep didn't come.

" Go to sleep." Beca said softly running her hair soothingly through Chloe's red locks.

" I can't. It's our last night." Chloe explained.

" Do you regret it?" Beca asked seeing Chloe's eyes dart up to meet hers.

" Regret what?"

" If we'd just left things at the beginning of summer, maybe it wouldn't hurt so bad that we're leaving now. I don't regret any of this summer, even the fights we've had. But maybe it would have been easier."

" It might have, but I'd take three months with you over spending the rest of my life not knowing if we would have been perfect together." Chloe answered definitively.

" I love you."

Chloe woke the next morning to an empty bed, somehow she'd gotten used to that over the summer months. Beca was surprisingly an early riser and was usually down in the kitchen cooking or working on her mixes. What was new though was the note folded on Beca's pillow waiting for Chloe. Before opening it she sat up, hoping to shake the sleep from her mind before reading the note.

_Chloe,_

_Don't be mad but I called the cab company and had them pick me up early. I'm terrible at goodbyes and I knew that if I actually had to do it I would lose my nerve. This summer has been the best time of my life, you've taught me how to love you've shown me happiness. I love you so much Chloe I wish that it were possible to express it in words. _

_Love always,_

_Beca_

Chloe folded the note back up; she hadn't realized she'd started crying until her vision was suddenly blurry. She stumbled out of bed and even though she knew that Beca was gone she still searched the house for her, looking for any small sign that the brunette might have stayed. But she found none, like she knew that she would. Looking at the clock Chloe found that it was just after 7:30, Beca was probably at the airport by then.

Unlocking her phone Chloe found she had a text message from Beca waiting for her.

_Good morning beautiful. I love you. – B_

Waiting impatiently as the ringing continued before Beca picked up the phone. When she heard the other line pick up Chloe leaned against the counter for support.

" I should be mad at you for leaving without saying anything." Chloe started, but her tone lacked any actual animosity.

" _But…?"_

" You're lucky I love you."

" _I'm sorry, I just couldn't do it."_

" I know, it's okay. Did you get to the airport okay?"

" _Yeah, my flight starts boarding in like half an hour." _

" You'll call me when you land and get settled in?" Chloe asked hopefully.

" Of course. We have a Skype date tonight remember."

Beca sat back in the uncomfortable airport chair and listened to Chloe's voice, it wouldn't be the last time that she heard it but it still felt like it. Going from seeing Chloe every day, all day for three months to not seeing her at all would be a big adjustment. One that Beca didn't know if she was going to be strong enough to cope with. She knew she was being stupid, who in their right mind would actually get lucky enough to start a relationship with Chloe and then endanger it by going across the country? If it was anyone it would definitely be Beca. But she had to try, she had to know that she went to LA and she tried to become something in the music industry there. If she didn't, the probability of her blaming Chloe was enough to scare the shit out of her. So she was going to be hopeful, she was going to hope that everything would work out because that was all she could do when she boarded her plane to LAX.

Epilogue – Six Months Later

" Chloe seriously you have got to stop moping around." Chloe turned and buried her face in her pillow, she didn't want to greet the sun that was shining unapologetically through her window. Nor did she want to look at Aubrey's concerned gaze. Chloe didn't have to tell Aubrey what happened, Aubrey had come home to find Chloe crying while curled in a tiny ball under her covers. Somehow in the mixture of sobs and sniffling Aubrey had gathered that Chloe and Beca had broken up. Since then Aubrey had been lucky if she was able to get anything out of Chloe as to why.

" I'm not moping."

" If you want me to go to LA and kick her ass I will. If she thinks that she can dump you once she made it big over there she's got another thing coming." Aubrey offered. It hadn't taken long after moving to LA for Beca to find an agent and to begin working on her first album that went multi-platinum in weeks.

" She didn't dump me." Chloe said finally, she could practically feel the confused look Aubrey was giving her burning a hole in the back of her head so she turned and looked up at Aubrey.

" She didn't break up with you?"

" No. I broke things off with her."

" What? Chloe _why?_" Aubrey demanded standing up off of the bed. Sighing angrily Chloe sat up and met Aubrey's gaze with defiance she hadn't seen since they were both Bella's.

" She's in LA, she's just made it big, having a girlfriend here isn't going to do her any favors and I can't expect her to be loyal to me when she has every hot girl in LA throwing themselves at her." Chloe said.

" Beca would not cheat on you Chloe."

" I know that. But she is about to go out and live her dream and I don't want to hold her back. I want her to experience everything and go to clubs and bars and not have to worry about getting home to call me for our phone dates." Chloe tried to explain.

" So you broke up with her for her benefit?"

" Yeah. Now leave me alone." Chloe said laying back and pulling her blanket over her head. She felt sick, she couldn't get the look on Beca's face out of her mind. The way the brunette's face crumbled and she tried desperately not to cry. It had made it all the more difficult for Chloe to do what she thought she needed to do, but she was determined that what she was doing was right.

" You at least need to eat something and you're parents have stopped calling you and started calling me. They're worried about you and they want you to meet them for dinner tonight." Aubrey said standing, using her best Bella's captain no-nonsense tone.

Chloe hadn't wanted to get up and get ready to meet her parents, and even the act of it felt like it was taking longer than usual. Instead of her usual 20 minute shower she usually took she must have stood under the near scalding hot spray for almost an hour. Afterward she pulled her hair back into a pony tail and threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, her parents wouldn't care if she wasn't dressed in her usual perk and bright colors.

Walking into the small diner, it was one of their favorite holes in the wall places that they'd been coming to since Chloe was a little girl. It reminded Chloe way too much of Andy and Nora's diner, but Chloe couldn't tell her parents that. They wouldn't understand. Sebastian stood to greet his daughter while Virginia threw her arms around Chloe's shoulder and brought the younger girl to her and held her in an almost bone crushingly tight hug.

" We ordered you the hot chocolate." Virginia offered ushering Chloe to one of the seats. Chloe offered a soft smile but it was clear to both her parents that Chloe was only moments from crumbling.

" I suppose it would be silly to ask you how you're holding up." Sebastian was terrible when it came to the emotional comforting of his children, he would support them endlessly and defend them until his dying breath. But if they came to him for advice he knew to direct them to their mother.

" I'm breathing, that's something at least." Chloe offered stirring the hot chocolate that had been placed before her.

" Sweetheart, if it was going to hurt you this much why did you do it?" Virginia asked.

" Because I couldn't hold her back anymore. She just made it big, she's going to go off and I just…" Chloe stopped, she was tired of explaining it already and she had only explained it to Aubrey and now her parents.

" Noble as your intentions were don't you think you should maybe ask her input on if she thinks you're holding her back?"

" I know what she would say." Chloe offered quietly. It seemed so unlike Chloe not to be her usual happy self, and it killed Virginia to see her daughter like that.

" She would tell you that you were being stupid." Sebastian said probably harsher than was needed but the fact was he liked Beca and Chloe together. He had never seen someone make his daughter so happy and he didn't think that Chloe throwing that away for however noble the reason seemed was good enough.

" Sebastian!" Virginia hissed.

" Mom it's okay." Virginia was about to say something when something caught her eye out the window behind Chloe. For several minutes the older woman was silent, when even after a full minute had passed and Virginia hadn't said anything Chloe looked up and saw that something had Virginia's attention. Turning over her shoulder Chloe saw who had caught her attention and Chloe's jaw dropped. Standing on the side walk just outside the diner Beca stood looking at them.

Chloe didn't even know that she was moving until she felt the coolness of the outside air and was standing in front of Beca. Beca looked timid, like she wasn't sure if her presence would be welcome, she didn't know if it would be after all Chloe had just broken up with her.

" Hey." Beca greeted cautiously.

" What are you doing here?" Chloe asked her voice little more than a whisper.

" You broke up with me, you didn't think that I would just let that happen without coming to meet you so we can talk about it did you?" Beca asked.

" But how did you know where I'd be?"

" I called Aubrey, I asked her where I could find you when I landed." Beca replied waving at Virginia and Sebastian through the window.

" I told you why I did it Beca." Chloe said pulling Beca off the middle of the sidewalk closer to the side of the building.

" I know why you did it. But you didn't even give me a chance Chloe. You had already made up your mind before even talking to me about it. I thought that we were doing fine and had no idea that you were even having doubts." Beca insisted, the middle of a New York sidewalk wasn't exactly where she wanted to do this but she didn't know if she could wait.

" We need to talk about this. But this is not the place." Chloe insisted hailing a cab. When one of the yellow cabs that were so iconic to New York pulled up in front of them they got in. It was strange being together now, had it been even a week ago they would have been holding hands, they would have been touching in some way instead of trying to be as far away from each other as possible.

Beca was angry and she was hurt and she was finding it harder and harder not to show it. Chloe had blindsided her with everything and before Beca even knew what was happening she and Chloe were broken up. When the cab pulled up in front of Chloe's apartment building the red head dug out the cash that she needed and handed it silently to the driver before following Beca out. They had gone inside the apartment and shed their jackets before another word was spoken. Chloe didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't unlike Beca to remain quiet when she was uncertain.

" Do you want something to drink?" Chloe offered trying to ease the tension as best she could.

" I want an explanation." Beca replied her tone biting.

" I told you why."

" You said you didn't want to hold me back. That's an excuse not an explanation. What the Hell are you holding me back from?"

" You have your career and everything you've ever dreamed of."

" No, I _had_ everything that I wanted. I had my career and I had you. Then you went and you decided that what we had wasn't working for you and instead of talking to me like you always tell me to do you broke up with me. Maybe I had a bigger impact on you then I thought." Beca crossed the living room into the kitchen where Chloe stood. " What happened, we were good. What happened?"

Chloe looked at the brunette, aside from the slightly darker tint of her skin from all the sun she was getting in LA Beca looked just the same. Fame hadn't really changed her although she was only beginning to feel it. Chloe watched as Beca slowly reached out and hooked her fingers on Chloe's allowing their skin to brush but not completely touch.

" Is there someone else?" Beca asked quietly.

" No." Chloe answered quickly, she didn't want Beca to think that there might be someone else. No one else existed in Chloe's world than Beca, there was no one else that Chloe wanted to be with.

" Then why, please tell me what did I do wrong?"

" You didn't do anything wrong." Chloe said insistently forcing Beca to look at her.

" Got a funny way of showing it." Beca mumbled.

" I'm sorry, I couldn't do the distance anymore knowing that there were hundreds of girls that are going to be throwing themselves at you and knowing that you're going to be tempted but you're going to be good and come home so that you can Skype me or call me. But that's not fair to either of us." Chloe ranted, she'd been a lot nicer when she had explained that to Beca, she'd thought her words out and made things sound a little less pathetic. But now that Beca was standing in front of her after flying several thousand miles to talk to her Chloe was crumbling.

" Chloe, I don't want any of those girls I just want you. Just you."

" That might not always be the case!" Beca couldn't believe that Chloe was being so self-conscious, it was so unnatural. Beca sighed and opened her bag digging for something and finding what she was looking for she held out a folded and slightly wrinkled piece of paper. Curious as to what Beca could be giving her Chloe opened the paper and looked at it, her eyes skimming over the words before she realized what it was.

" Is this for real?" Chloe asked finding her voice.

" Chloe you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. Unless the reason you broke up with me is because you don't want me, then you're just going to have to deal with me in your life." Beca said a hint of her trademark smirk re-emerging on her face.

" So you're taking the job?"

" I started looking for DJ-ing jobs a month or two ago and my production company said they don't care if I live in New York." Beca replied.

" You're moving to New York?"

" I'm moving to New York."

Chloe didn't know how to express to Beca the happiness that filled her except to bring her lips to Beca's. Brushing her lips against the lips she'd missed so much over the past few months. She'd forgotten the subtle ways that Beca would kiss her that had the power to make her toes curl and her entire body warm. Her memories and her imagination didn't do Beca's kisses justice as she was reminded when Beca's had cupped the back of her neck and deepened their kiss, mingling her tongues.

Pushing Chloe against the counter Beca heard Chloe gasp and couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips breaking their kiss Beca looked up at Chloe. Their foreheads resting against one another, breathe mingling together.

" I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

" Me to. But it's okay now. We're together now."

" Together."


End file.
